KIRIBATI, FLAG OF

national flag consisting of six wavy horizontal stripes of white and blue beneath a red field bearing a yellow bird and sun. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 1 to 2. The British acquired extensive colonies and protectorates in the Pacific Ocean during the 19th century, including the Gilbert Islands, with their Micronesian population, and the nearby Ellice Islands, which were dominated by Polynesians. In anticipation of independence from Britain, a referendum was held and the two territories were separated in 1976. The former Gilbert Islands were proclaimed the independent Republic of Kiribati, the name being simply the local spelling and pronunciation of Gilberts. The new flag, hoisted at independence on July 12, 1979, was based on the coat of arms granted to the islands in 1937. At the bottom were three blue and three white waves, representing the Pacific Ocean, while the top of the design was red with a yellow sun and a typical local frigate bird. According to traditional heraldry, the design of a proper armorial banner corresponds to the coat of arms, which must be spread across the field of the flag and omit any crest, motto, or supporters; however, among modern nations, only Kiribati, Switzerland, and Namibia have produced such banners. The heraldic rule had been established because it produces a unique and simple design that is easily recognizable. Whitney Smith History The first settlers in the Gilbert Islands and Banaba came from Southeast Asia, by way of Micronesia, some 4,0005,000 years ago. About the 14th century AD the southern islands received an influx of Samoans, and soon thereafter the islanders adopted a gerontocratic style of government (based on rule by elders). The Line and Phoenix islands had no prehistoric population. Spanish explorers sighted some of the islands in the 16th century, but most did not appear on charts until the early 19th century, when first whalers and then coconut-oil traders reached the islands. From the mid-19th century, labour was recruited in the Gilberts for plantations elsewhere in the region. The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892, and Banaba was annexed in 1900 after the discovery of its rich phosphate deposits. Both were linked with the Ellice Islands as the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916; the colony subsequently was extended to include most of the Phoenix and Line groups and, for a time, Tokelau. Administration was through island governments, which sometimes became enmeshed in sectarian rivalries between Roman Catholics and Protestants. As a response to drought and perceived overpopulation in the 1930s, a resettlement scheme was initiated for the Phoenix Islands; a later scheme saw other Gilbertese resettled in the Solomons. During World War II the Gilberts were occupied by the Japanese, who were later ejected by American forces. The colony had few services until aid-funded development programs were introduced after the war. An elected House of Representatives was established in 1967. The subsequent emergence of racial tensions led to the division of the colony in 197576. In 1976 the British High Court rejected Banaban claims for massive compensation over mining issues. The Gilbert Islands achieved independence as Kiribati in 1979. After independence a high priority was given to economic development, especially the exploitation of marine resources. Kiribati belongs to the South Pacific Forum and the Commonwealth. Barrie K. Macdonald